Being an AI superuser at work can enhance your interactions with colleagues, boost collaboration and team creativity, reduce friction, and streamline workflows, according to Gensler’s 2026 Global Workplace Survey. Other surveys, including those from Deloitte, Deel, Gartner, and others, have shown similar results.
In a survey of more than 16,400 office workers across 16 countries, Gensler’s annual survey found that 30% of employees now qualify as AI Power Users — they regularly use AI tools in both their professional and personal lives.
AI Power Users Are Collaborators
The study showed that rather than replacing human interaction, these workers report spending less time working alone, more time learning, and having stronger team relationships than their peers.
“We often assume that more technology means less connection,” said Janet Pogue McLaurin, Global Director of Workplace Research at Gensler. “But our data tells a different story. The employees most embedded in AI workflows are also the ones most engaged in learning and have better team relationships. That shift signals a new and important role for the workplace.”
The 2026 survey builds on a dataset of nearly 125,000 respondents collected across two decades, offering one of the most comprehensive longitudinal views of how work is evolving globally.
How and Where People Work and Connect
The Gensler Survey reveals early signals of how AI adoption may influence not only what we do but also how we connect, collaborate, and learn. Overall, the results indicate that AI power users dedicate more time to collaboration, learning, and socializing.
After years of return-to-office (RTO) and experimentation, the fundamentals of how and where people work have settled into a new rhythm over the last three years. Across countries and industries, workers are spending about
✓40% of their week working alone
✓27% collaborating in person
✓13% working virtually with colleagues
This pattern is nearly identical to the last two years, Gensler said. Learning and social connection, which spiked after the pandemic, have remained consistent for the last three years as well. How people work varies by country, industry, role, and age.
✓Employees in the government and the defense industry work alone the most
✓Government and the defense employees also work the most with others in person
✓Those in the legal field spend the least time working alone
✓Media professionals spend the most time working with others virtually
✓Workers in their 50s spend the most time working alone and the least time learning and socializing
Structuring The Work Day
AI power users report a meaningful shift in how they structure their time. Compared to late adopters, AI power users spend less time working alone (37% of their workweek versus 42%) and more time learning (12% versus 8%) and socializing (11% versus 9%). Explore all the differences in the interactive graphic.
As AI becomes embedded in daily workflows, what grows in its place is distinctly human: more time for deeper reflection, creative problem-solving, mentorship, and the development of new skills. This evolution increases the importance of environments that support focus and connection rather than diminishing them.
The findings suggest that AI adoption and workplace strategy cannot be viewed separately. As digital tools transform how work gets done, the physical workplace must evolve alongside them.
Globally, on average, workers continue to spend slightly more than half their workweek in the office, and 26% of their time working beyond the office, such as coworking spaces, client sites, business travel, and third places. Overall, the office remains the main place where work is happening.
The reasons why people are coming into the office have also remained consistent. The top reason hasn’t changed since the pandemic: to get work done. In fact, the five top reasons have held steady for the last three years:
“AI isn’t just a technology shift — it’s a people shift. As AI reshapes the mechanics of work, the physical workplace matters more, not less,” according to the study.
“Companies that invest in their workplaces unlock the full potential of their people and the technology, creating places where employees come together to think, learn, and build the relationships that fuel organizational performance.”